Club Obi Wan

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My grandfather and my father made a lot of holsters for the Highway Patrol back years ago.

Dad said that the company sent them this whip because they ordered so much leather.

It's about 9 feet or so long and the handle is able to spin.

It's probably around 40 years old. When I was little (15 years or so ago) I thought the thing was massive and I never could do much with it other than sling it to wrap around things. I'm 26 now and I'm curious about it.

The end is worn to the point where the leather is coming undone for a couple inches. The popper came off years ago.

It used to have a grass/straw type popper on it.

I was wanting to replace it, but I didnt want to use the grass stuff due to me being picky with the looks.

Any ideas about it, or how much it's worth?

My first suggestion to you is to get some leather dressing on it. As dried out as it is, you may or may not be able to do anything with it. If you find that the strands, even after dressed, are still going to fall apart, then you've got yourself a wall hanger there, my friend.

But, you can replace the end and make it look nice. What you've got there looks to be an old swivel handle cowhide bullwhip. You did mention the handle rotates.

The longevity of a whip is really determined by how much care has been taken of the leather. If none, the whip won't last. If much, it will last a lifetime.

Your judgement on this whip is best, since it's in your hands. Take a good long look at the leather, at the spot where you think it's most dried out. Try scratching at it with your fingernail, and judge in what condition you believe the leather to be.

Best Regards,

Paul Stenhouse

PS. Any idea who made it?

It looks pretty much like a Bucheimer to me. Check the handle to see if there are any marks on it. If there are no marks it might have been made by a competitor.

I agree with Paul about inspecting the whip. It's probably crackable, and it might have a few years of use left in it for an experienced whip handler, but less experienced whip handlers tend to be tough on whips and could cut it's life short. If you wanted to try cracking it, though, it should have a new fall and popper put on the end.

Value is hard to say. I saw a mint condition vintage whip like yours go for about $100 on Ebay, though if it were at an auction with several knowledgable whip collectors it probably would have gone for more. A young gentleman on this forum got a usable Bucheimer for $40 off Ebay, and it is in better condition than your whip. I also have a Bucheimer without the popper, though it's a little more damaged than yours, and some guy just gave it to me.

So, roughly your whip is $10-$60 without the popper, and maybe $70-$90 with a replacement popper and fall, though take my values with a grain of salt. The high prices I listed are probably what an antique shop would ask after they paid half that amount at an estate sale.

-Adam

I agree w/ Adam that it may be a Bucheimer. Have a damaged one myself which I got for a few bucks, just for a decoration. This whip looks very much like the Bucheimer I have.

Steve.

The whip you have is a classic example of an old American swivel handle bullwhip. There’s a good chance it’s a Bucheimer, but other companies produced this style whip also, and still do to this day. They where well-built tough whips typically used for working cattle. Your whip looks in rough shape but I have seen worse. I would recommend a careful cleaning with a damp cloth or some saddle soap, let it dry and then give it a heavy of a high quality leather dressing like pecards or Fiebing’s conditioner. Considering its age and sentimental value Its certainly worth restoring, If the leather is not in too bad of shape, I’d get one of our guys here to cinch up the point and put a new fall and cracker on it. Depending on the condition of the leather though you might just want to retire It and treat it as an heirloom.

Dan